Final Fantasy Battleground
by DHerder222
Summary: Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII do battle!


Danyal Herder  
  
Final Fantasy Battleground  
  
The arena lights flashed on in a sudden blaze, and immediately the enormous crowd of spectators burst into a roar. Within seconds fireworks were being shot into the air and over a dozen strobe-lights streamed through the building furiously. The audience, consisting mostly of adolescent males, began screaming at the top of their lungs in anticipation. After a few moments the cheering died down very slightly, and the lights all turned to a booth that was set off to the side of a large empty area. The booth was populated by three young people, two men and one woman.  
  
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Final Fantasy Battleground!" One called out eagerly into a microphone that had been set up for him. He was a lanky, scraggly-looking man wearing a dark yellow muscle shirt, coupled with black pants and boots. A red bandanna was adorned across his forehead. "I am Biggs, and along with my two colleagues, we'll be calling the following three matches for your entertainment!"  
  
The woman, seated between the two men, leaned forward. She was a tall, young man with messy brown hair. Like Biggs, she had a red bandanna running through her hair, and she was clad in a gray jacket and olive green pants. "I'm Jessie, and as always, we've got some match-ups that're going to go down in history tonight!"  
  
Finally, the man on the far right grabbed his microphone as well. He was probably the youngest of the three, and also the heaviest. As with Biggs and Jessie, he was wearing a red bandanna, but unlike them it covered most of his dark brown hair. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt with shoulder pads, jean shorts and boots. "Jessie's right! I'm Wedge, and we've had enough talking! Let's get onto the fighting!"  
  
The screams from the crowd grew louder and louder as the floor of the empty area gave way. Out of it rose a wrestling ring, around fifteen feet in length and adorned with two red 'F's in the center of it. As the ring finally stabilized, the crowd turned back to the three announcers to hear what matches were in store for them.  
  
"Well, guys, it looks to be an excellent night." Jessie said, taking a sip from her glass of water. The other two nodded.  
  
"Yup, I can't wait until that main event." Wedge said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.  
  
Biggs held up a hand. "Hold on a second, Wedge, the other two fights are nothing to scoff at, either. I mean, first of all, we've got the two men of darkness fighting each other. Shadow VS. Vincent!"  
  
The announcement resulted in enormous applause and cheers from the crowd. The three nodded, glad that they were feeling so loved.  
  
"Yeah, that'll be a great one," Wedge nodded, "But what about that second match? Possibly the two most evil beings in the universe will tear each other to shreds! I mean, Kefka is going to fight Sephiroth!"  
  
Thunderous clapping arose from the crowd, and a few fans waving signs put them down to pump their fists into the air eagerly.  
  
Jessie laughed. "That'll rock, too, but I can't wait until the main event. Sixteen heroes will kill each other in the ultimate Battle Royal! Locke, Terra, Celes, Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, Gau and Setzer will meet Cloud, Tifa, Aeris, Barret, Red XIII, Cid, Cait Sith and Yuffie in a last team standing match!"  
  
Immediately the three were unable to hear anything but roaring shouts of approval and excitement. Biggs clasped his hands together and grabbed his microphone several minutes, when it was safe to talk again.  
  
"So enough talk! Let's bring out the fighters!"  
  
The cheering fired up again as the spotlights focused on the thirty-foot long runway that connected the ring area to the resting area in the back of the building. Making his way slowly to the ring was an extremely pale-skinned man. He was wearing pitch black loose clothing over his entire body, and a blood-red cape had been flung over him. His entire left arm was seemingly made of metal, and his feet were clamped in strange, pointed boots. A long, black rifle was at his side as he climbed slowly into the ring. He heard the people in the audience chanting his name, but he remained emotionless.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, Vincent Valentine!" The announcer shouted over the intercom. The quiet fighter bowed his head slightly, and it was all the crowd needed to burst into applause.  
  
Suddenly a burst of smoke appeared in the ring opposite Vincent. As it cleared, a figure could be made from it. Clad in patch-black clothes, he had a protective helmet over his face which didn't show anything except his constantly darting eyes. Several dark gray sashes were slung around his waist, and three or four daggers lay sheathed on his belt. At ringside a enormous black-furred dog snarled at Vincent.  
  
"Quiet, Interceptor." The man said simply.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, Shadow!" The voice blared over the intercom again. The chants began anew, but Shadow showed no recognition of the fans. This turned some off, but made others chant only harder.  
  
The three announcers sat in their chairs, itching for the fight to begin. Wedge struggled to contain his excitement as he took his microphone.  
  
"Vincent, Shadow," He said, grinning, "Fight!"  
  
The two warriors began pacing around the ring slowly, eyeing each other. The crowd had hushed up, awaiting the first blow. It finally came as Vincent charged at the black ninja in a fury. Shouldering Shadow into the ropes, Vincent let a hard right punch to Shadow's face, who recoiled and jumped over the ropes to get away from the assault. He leaped onto the nearest turnbuckle and executed a jumping dropkick to the chest of Vincent, which floored him.  
  
"Ooh, Shadow just pulled off a perfect dropkick!" Jessie called.  
  
"That caught Vincent square in the chest." Biggs added, impressed.  
  
Shadow immediately climbed to his feet and pulled a small knife off his belt. Vincent stood up as well, and seeing the knife flying his way, jumped into the air and let the knife sail underneath him. Vincent landed next to Shadow and gave him a sharp kick in the leg. As Shadow winced in pain, Vincent pulled out his rifle, readying it at the ninja. Shadow dove at the sight of it, however, and in a flash knocked it from Vincent's hands onto the ring floor outside, where Interceptor began gnawing at it furiously. Vincent's eyes narrowed at the dog, but it allowed for Shadow to toss another knife at Vincent's shoulder.  
  
"Ooh, that had to hurt." Wedge flinched.  
  
Vincent winced in pain as the blade dug into his skin, letting a small stream of blood flow from his left shoulder. In a flash, Vincent knocked Shadow onto the ground and gave him four steady punches to his body until the ninja finally pried Vincent off. Shadow grabbed Vincent's arms and twisted them in opposite directions, forcing Vincent to double over in pain. As he did so, a shuriken appeared between two of Shadow's fingers.  
  
Biggs grinned. "It looks like some more of Shadow's ninja training will come into effect here."  
  
As Vincent stood up, he already knew the ninja star was coming. Grinning, he let his mechanical arm catch it in mid-flight. Shadow stood motionless as Vincent crumpled the star into a glob of metal.  
  
Wedge's jaw dropped. "I don't believe it! He just took that star and -"  
  
"Shut up, Wedge!" Jessie shouted. "Look at Vincent!"  
  
The three saw a strange metamorphosis come over Vincent. His clothes seemed to melt into his body until he became a pitch black, naked figure. His cape had cut itself into two darkened-red wings which now pierced the sky. Vincent's long, black hair seemed to melt away as his face became disfigured and fangs appeared in his mouth. Within a few seconds, Vincent stood as an intimidating eight feet tall demon. Shadow was still silent.  
  
"Incredible!" Biggs shouted. "Vincent has morphed into his demonic form! Shadow will have to work incredibly hard now!"  
  
The ninja tried hurled the last of his knives at Vincent, but the demon simply stood as they pierced his body. Vincent was unmoved, even when two steams of blood flowed from his body. He quietly strode up to Ninja and lifted him up by his head off the ground. Shadow was powerless to stop Vincent, and instantly he was flung across the ring.  
  
Interceptor suddenly leaped into the ring and pounced onto Vincent, hoping to stifle Vincent's advancements. The demon simply picked up the ferocious dog and hurled him out of the ring. While his back was to Shadow, however, the ninja desperately leaped onto Vincent and, using his final blade, slashed an enormous wound into his back. Vincent let out a huge roar of pain and fell to the ground.  
  
"Shadow was just used his Shadow Fang attack!" Jessie called.  
  
"I wonder if Vincent can continue fighting." Wedge said.  
  
Vincent was breathing heavily, but turned to Shadow. As he glared at the ninja, an enormous flaming skull suddenly appeared from the sky. Shadow stood paralyzed as the skull approached, until finally flames spewed from it onto the ninja. Shadow was burned for several minutes before the flame finally dissipated, and he collapsed. Vincent climbed to his feet and reverted to his original form. Still panting, he walked over the Shadow and hooked Shadow's leg.  
  
"One...Two...Three!" The crowd chanted, and burst into a ferocious cheer.  
  
Biggs called into his microphone. "Well, it looks like the Satan Slam won it for Vincent. I don't know, though. Shadow could easily have won that."  
  
Wedge nodded. "Yeah, but Vincent managed to pull it out."  
  
"In any event, we've got Sephiroth and Kefka coming up next!"  
  
As soon as Vincent had finished carrying Shadow's body out to the resting area, the lights began flashing again. Out from the rest area came a bizarre-looking person. He was dressed in a mostly red outfit with a green cape, which also included dozens of stray colors from every angle on it, as well as blue pants and two boots, one white and one black. His face was adorned in clown-styled makeup, and a headpiece showed his blond hair through a white piece.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, Kefka!" The announcer called out.  
  
"Thank you, thank you!" The clown feigned graciousness as the audience cheered. "You will all be happy to know that I will pummel my opponent right into the ground in front of your very eyes!"  
  
"I should like to see that." A deep voice called out from behind him. Twenty or so feet away was a tall man dressed in the same loose black garb Vincent had been wearing. Huge boots climbed all the way up to the man's knees, and a black coat of sorts had been buckled onto his body. He had flowing, silver hair and an incredibly long, thin sword which he had unsheathed .  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen -" The announcer began.  
  
"Oh, shut up!" Kefka shouted. "We all know his name is Sephiroth!" He pumped a fist at Sephiroth. "I'll gonna beat the living crap out of you!"  
  
"Really." Sephiroth leapt into the ring and pointed his razor-like blade at Kefka's throat. "Feel free to beat it from me anytime." Sephiroth let a small grin escape from his lips.   
  
Kefka dropped down to the ground and crawled through Sephiroth's legs, tripping him. "Ha!" Kefka roared with laughter as his opponent toppled to the ground. "What do ya think of that, MISTER Sephiroth?"  
  
Sephiroth twirled his silver hair as he picked himself up. He flicked his Masamune from one hand to another. "Tell me, Kefka, are you always so...annoying?"  
  
Kefka turned red. "How DARE you insult me like that!" Kefka charged at Sephiroth, but the silver-haired man simply pushed him to the ground. He stood and pointed his sword at Kefka again. Grinning, he bowed his head.  
  
"Face it. You cannot win." He said simply.  
  
Kefka began pouting. "Hmph! I don't see why you're such a hot-shot! The truth is, I've got power you cannot even BEGIN to comprehend!"  
  
"Oh, really?" Sephiroth sheathed his sword. "This I'd like to see."  
  
Kefka scrambled to his feet and began laughing. "Ha! You asked for it, bub!" A flash of light emanated from his body, and suddenly two angelic wings sprouted from his body and the bulk of his clothing vanished, leaving only a long purple robe around Kefka. His skin became a light purple shade and effortlessly he began fluttering in the sky. He grinned at Sephiroth.  
  
"Top THAT, scumbag!" He shouted as he charged energy beams from his palms.  
  
Sephiroth shrugged. "Very well." Another flash of light appeared, and Sephiroth was several feet in the air, floating calmly. A fluffy white material formed around his waist, and his legs seemed to vanish. Several wings appeared from the cloudy substance, until five had arrived. Unlike Kefka's, however, they remained horizontal, as if keeping Sephiroth up in the air. A sixth wing, much darker than the previous five, finally materialized and clasped itself to Sephiroth's right shoulder. Two circles of light also had appeared from behind Sephiroth, and his silver hair had become a brilliant white.  
  
Kefka stood, aghast. "Well, I can still whoop you!" The angel fluttered at the other angel, letting loose a string of energy blasts. Sephiroth, saying nothing, countered with several of his own. Flashes of pure power bounced from one body to another, some hitting, but neither fighter doing much to the other. Kefka, impatient after a few rounds of fighting, began growling.  
  
"Stupid angel! Why can't you just DIE?" He shouted.  
  
Sephiroth was still silent, but fired a steady stream of blasts, several caught Kefka by surprise. The face paint melted off Kefka's body, and the clown-angel grew furious.  
  
"That's it, pal! You're through now!" Several brilliant flashes of light grew from his body, and instantly each pinned itself to Sephiroth, causing blood to gush from his body in several areas. Feathers fluttered off his wings as the blasts destroyed pieces of his angelic frame.  
  
Sephiroth, coughing uncontrollably, vomited a large amount of blood that was caught in his throat, and let out a smile. "So, that was your Fallen One attack. I understand that's your most powerful spell? Quite pathetic."  
  
"God damn it! Shut up, you stupid little -"  
  
"Enough. I grow tired of your talk." Sephiroth lifted his bloodied arms to the sky in silence. The entire arena was silent, for they could all hear a small buzzing sound. It seemed to be growing louder with every passing second, and finally it was an enormous roar.  
  
"What the hell is that...Ah!" Kefka screamed. A meteor crashed through the sky of the building and streamed straight towards Kefka. The angel, unaware that a large rock was coming towards him until that second, could do nothing to dodge. The shockwaves from its impact with Kefka were huge and knocked many to the ground.  
  
Wedge, after getting up from his hiding place, turned into his microphone. "Yes, folks, that was the legendary Supernova that you just witnessed."  
  
Sephiroth's wings disappeared, and his legs returned as he reformed his original body. Kefka's body was motionless on the ground, and bleeding in countless different places. The silver-haired fighter walked up to him calmly and grinned.  
  
"Perhaps I can have a use for you, you pathetic wretch." A final flash of light appeared, and when it had gone, but Sephiroth and Kefka had vanished.  
  
Biggs rubbed his eyes. "Huh? Where'd they go?  
  
Jessie shook her head. "Those two freaks will probably become best friends pretty soon."  
  
"Enough of them, then!" Wedge shouted, hoping to ease the awkward tension that had subdued the crowd. "We have a main event to get to!"  
  
"Right!" Biggs shouted. "So, you guys, which team do you think is going to win?"  
  
Wedge thought for a moment. "I gotta go with Cloud's team. It has both Cloud and Barret, after all."  
  
"Maybe, but Locke's team has Sabin on it, and he's really cute." Jessie grinned, batting her eyelashes for a moment. Biggs and Wedge sighed.  
  
"That's funny, Jessie, because I thought someone like Yuffie would be more your type." Biggs said.  
  
"Well...Hey!" Jessie slapped Biggs angrily. "That's not funny!"  
  
"Quiet, you guys! The teams have entered the ring!" Wedge said, instantly silencing his co-workers.  
  
The ring was now a crowded area, for sixteen bodies now occupied the space within the ropes. Each team was centered around opposing turnbuckles, and all fighters were whispering quietly to each other.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, the main event of our evening is an enormous, sixteen-man Battle Royal!" The announcer proclaimed to cheering fans. "For those of you unfamiliar with the rules, a fighter is eliminated from the contest when he or she is thrown over the ropes and onto the outside area. The last team with a member standing is the winner!"  
  
"Introducing first...Terra Branford!" A young girl with green hair and wearing a small red top and matching skirt stepped forward and smiled nervously as the crowd chanted for her.  
  
"Celes Chere!" A slightly older woman with long blonde hair stepped forward. Clad in a full suit of armor with a white cape and a sword at her side, she bowed her head to the opposing team in honor.  
  
"Setzer Gabbiani!" A pale, white-haired man wearing a long, flowing overcoat and a black undershirt raised his hands. Grinning ear to ear, he pulled two cards from a pocket in his coat and flicked them to the audience.  
  
"Cyan Garamonde!" A middle-aged, well-built with a black ponytail stepped forward. Wearing a full suit of blue armor with a matching cape, he knelt down on one two and placed his hands on the katana he had at his side.  
  
"Gau!" A scraggly, green-haired boy slowly crept forward on all fours. Wearing no short, he only had a pair of dark green shorts on as he made strange growling noises at his opponents.  
  
"Edgar Roni Figaro!" A young man stepped forward and fiddled with his flowing blonde hair. Wearing a suit blue-green armor and equipped with an assortment of tools around his belt, he winked at the female members of his opposing team, who rolled their eyes back at him.  
  
"Sabin Rene Figaro!" An incredibly muscled man with a bushy beard stepped forward. Wearing a light-blue muscle shirt and white baggy pants, he graciously nodded his head at his opposing team.  
  
"And the team's leader, Locke Cole!" A short, young man ran forward excitedly. With a blue bandanna covering his blonde hair, he was wearing a white shirt coupled with a blue vest, as well as denim pants. He let out a wide smile at his opponents.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Returners!" The announcer shouted to enormous applause. The eight turned to the front row nearby, where a stream of familiar faces could be seen. Relm, who was standing on her chair to get a better view, waved happily as her grandfather Strago tried to get her under control. Umaro, who had Mog placed on his head so both could see the fight, waved a hairy white hand as well. Gogo, sitting on the end, sat silently, but his eyes remained attentive to the ring.  
  
"And their opponents...Introducing first, Cait Sith!"  
  
A massive Mog doll stepped forward as a small black cat standing on its head bowed down. With one hand on the Mog and the other gripping a megaphone, it was a bit tough to keep balance, but the cat managed.  
  
"Aeris Gainsborough!" A young woman stepped forward slowly, smiling slightly. Her long brown hair was tied back, and she was wearing a pink dress that covered her entire body. In her right hand she clutched a long rod.  
  
"Cid Highwind!" A middle-aged man with graying hair stepped forward as well. Wearing a complete set of pilot's gear, a cigarette flicked in between his teeth and a spear lay in his hands.  
  
"Yuffie Kisargi!" A small girl who was laughing hysterically stepped forward. Wearing only a tiny, green, sleeveless sweater and a pair of loose shorts, she held a four-pointed metal star as she eyed the jewelry on some of her opponents.  
  
"Tifa Lockheart!" A young man with long, dark brown hair that split into two tails stepped up. Smiling, she fiddled with the knuckles on her hands. Wearing only a white top and shorts, she received many hoots and hollers from the largely male audience.  
  
"Red XIII!" A slender red cat walked forward. With a tail that had an eternal flame on the end and jagged brown hair that extended to his back, he only stared at the other team as they all noticed the "XIII" above his left front paw.  
  
"Barret Wallace!" A burly black man with short-cut black hair stepped forward. With a gigantic gatling gun for a right arm, he was wearing a biker's vest and green pants with huge boots. He waved to a young white girl in the audience, who in turn waved back.  
  
"And the team's leader, Cloud Strife!" A young man with wild blond hair stepped forward as well. Wearing a blue soldier's uniform, a massive sword lay strapped to his back as his glowing green eyes seemed to pierce through his opponents.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, Avalanche!" Another round of huge cheers erupted from the crowd as the team gave small waves of appreciation. Finally, the cheers died down a bit so that the fight could begin.  
  
"Returners, Avalanche..." Biggs started.  
  
"Fight!" Wedge shouted.  
  
He had hardly said it when all sixteen fighters charged at each other with unparalleled ferocity. Sabin caught the first blow with he gave a hard punch so Barret and knocked him into a turnbuckle. Tifa and Aeris, deciding to stick together, trading blows with Terra and Celes, who had not yet drawn her sword. Gau and Red XIII prowled a circle around each other, each deciding when would be the ideal time to strike. Locke backed Yuffie into a corner, only to find that she had disappeared. Turning around, he saw her long enough to attempt to slice him in half.  
  
"Close dodge by Locke there." Jessie said. Biggs and Wedge nodded.  
  
Setzer aimed a well-timed punch at Cait Sith and nearly managed to knock the cat off. Instead, the Mog doll retaliated with a huge blow to the head of the gambler. Edgar, seeing the trouble, rushed to his friend's aid as he pulled out a crossfire. Before he could fire, however, Cid blocked his path.  
  
"Don't get into their fucking fight, boy!" He shouted.  
  
Edgar narrowed his eyes. "Must you use such vile language?"  
  
Cid growled. "I'll show you who's vile, you little shit!" Pulling out his lance, he charged at Edgar. The king of Figaro unsheathed his sword, and the two began dueling.  
  
Cyan, not yet engaged in a fight yet, managed to find Cloud alone, trying to decide who to help. Cyan grinned and pulled out his katana.  
  
"Cloud Strife, I would be honored if I could partake in battle with you."  
  
Cloud turned to the elder man and grinned. "Why not?" He took his own sword out and they traded dashes with each other.  
  
Celes pushed Tifa aside and charged into Aeris, knocking her over. Tifa sought to help her friend, but Terra grabbed her arm to prevent her from interfering. Tifa, furious to shake Terra, gave the green-haired woman a tackle, followed by a leap on her head with a vicious kick. Terra stumbled back and was knocked into Yuffie, who was facing Locke. The ninja girl was caught by surprise and toppled forward. Locke caught her and hurled her over the top rope with all his might. Yuffie crashed onto the padding outside and started cursing her luck.  
  
"The first elimination! Tifa, trying to help Aeris out, executed the first part of her Final Heaven combo, but instead led to Yuffie's removal by Locke!" Jessie cried.  
  
"Boy, Yuffie must be absolutely furious to be the first one out." Wedge said. "Such a shame. Such a...Ah!"   
  
He found that Yuffie was standing directly on his desk, glaring at him. "You'd better shut up, tubby, or I might just do something I'll regret later."  
  
Wedge nodded dumbly, totally speechless. Content, Yuffie hopped down and sat down on the mat, enthralled with the match and cheering on her team.  
  
Red XIII had finally succeeded in pouncing on Gau, and gave the youth a large scratch to his face. Gau struggled free from the cat's grasp and fled trying to get away from Red XIII. He ran straight into Edgar, who in turn caught a gash on his chest from Cid's lance. Reeling, all three crashed to the ground in a jumble.  
  
Biggs winced. "That had to hurt."  
  
Cyan and Cloud remained locked in a close sword duel. Neither was gaining much headway on the other, and both were beginning to grow tired. It wasn't until Cyan slipped on Sabin's foot, who was executing his Pummel move on Barret, that Cloud found an advantage. Leaping forward, he caught Cyan in the chest with the butt of his sword. Summoning all of his strength, he let loose a flurry of slashes, each more deadly than the last. Cyan, unable to counter the countless attacks, stood by helplessly as Cloud let loose a final swipe across Cyan's armor. The samurai collapsed to the ground, and Cloud silently rolled him out of the ring, eliminating him.  
  
"Ouch." Wedge sighed. "I thought Cyan would last longer, but I guess no one's a match for the might of Cloud's Omnislash."  
  
"Yeah, but Cyan wanting a duel with Cloud, and he got one." Jessie shrugged.  
  
"Wait, guys, look!" Biggs pointed at Barret, who had cocked his gun-arm and let loose a string of bullets. Sabin barely had time to duck to the ground, and the audience dove under their seats to avoid the shots. Sabin leaped on the ropes, and catapulted himself backwards, flying straight onto Barret and kicking him in the face. Barret fell over backwards, and Sabin breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
Aeris gave Celes a hard whack on the head with her rod, but the Magitek knight remained unfazed. The two locked arms, each attempting to knock the other to the ground first. Celes won the struggle and kicked Aeris down. Immediately Red XIII leapt up behind her and tackled Celes down, eager to help his friend out. Celes found herself back up the against the ropes, but couldn't shake Red XIII from her.  
  
Setzer found himself still under the grasp of Cait Sith. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the constant hits he was taking from the Mog. Pressed up against the ropes, Cait Sith moved in for the kill, charging up for a punch that would hopefully send Setzer through the ropes and outside. Setzer crouched down, reaching into his pocket for one last hope. Pulling out three cards with red backs, he mustered all the strength and hurled one at Cait Sith. Upon impact, it exploded on Cait Sith, sending his stumbling backwards. Setzer, pumping with adrenaline, tossed another one furiously. Connecting with the small cat, the explosion caused him to fly straight off the Mog doll outside. Setzer, relieved, sent the last card flying. It crashed onto the doll, and caused it to rocket out of the ring.  
  
"Incredible! Setzer's Red Card attack has dismantled Cait Sith!" Wedge shouted.  
  
"It's now seven to six, Returners winning!" Jessie called out.  
  
Gau, looking for a new target to tackle, eagerly spotted Tifa standing alone. He strode forward and jumped onto her, but she caught the wiry youth and dropped him to the ground. Gau attempted to bite her leg then, but she frantically shook him off of her. As she fought, however, she couldn't see Locke approaching her from behind. He gave her a somewhat gentle shoulder, causing her to topple over Gau.   
  
Celes, finally able to wrestle Red XII off of her, found herself staring at Aeris. Together, she and Red XIII knocked Celes to the ground, trying to get her to roll out of the ring. Terra tried to jump into the fray, but Aeris blocked her. Edgar, seeing Celes dangerously close to the edge of the ring, gave a slide-kick to Red XIII, causing the cat to fall over. Helping Celes to her feet, the two turned to Aeris. Celes and Terra threw Aeris to the ground, trying to get her eliminated, but Edgar pulled his arms across them.  
  
"Ladies, ladies! Don't harm her! Her everlasting beauty should not be scarred!" Celes and Terra stood bewildered as Edgar knelt down to help Aeris to her feet.   
  
"Are you okay, my sweet?" Edgar asked, grinning. Aeris, disgusted by Edgar's moves, gave him a harsh slap to the cheek. The king turned beet-red at the action, as in a fury he picked up Aeris and hurled her over the ropes, eliminating her.  
  
"Geez, did you see that!?" Biggs asked.  
  
Jessie nodded. "I didn't think Edgar could even touch a woman in harm."  
  
"The Returners now lead seven to five. Avalanche has really got to..." Wedge started.  
  
"Oh my god, look!" The three saw Cloud and Barret charging through the ring to get to Aeris. Cloud, who was visibly shaking, reached the end of the ropes, unable to save Aeris.  
  
"Damn it!" He cried. Barret turned to Edgar.  
  
"It was that bastard that threw out Aeris! Let's kill him!"   
  
Both men charged at Edgar, who was ready to die. Terra and Celes stood at his side, ready to help. Cloud pinned Edgar to the ground, trying to slit his throat. Celes wrestled him off of Edgar, and three engaged in a rolling scuffle. Barret, looking at Terra all alone, gave her a huge boot to the head. Terra tried to dodge it, but was caught totally unaware. As she fell to the ground, she felt her body vibrating in anger. Her clothes began to dissipate, and before long her skin had become a light purple shade. Barret, shocked by what he saw, found Terra emanating magical vibrations. The purple woman raised her hands to cast a spell, but Barret wouldn't let her get the chance. Punching her in the face, the burly man picked her up by the hair and carried her to the ropes, where he chucked her outside.  
  
Wedge blinked in total surprise. "Wow. I didn't think anyone could get to Terra when she was in her Esper form."  
  
Jessie nodded in agreement. "She was probably trying to cast a really powerful spell, and that's why she took so much time to cast it. In any event, it looks like we just witnessed an eye for an eye, with both Aeris and Terra being eliminated."  
  
Cid, who had taken a nasty fall from the tackling of Gau, sat sulking as he nursed his battered leg in a turnbuckle. After several minutes did he feel comfortable standing, and he gazed at the situation surrounding him. Spotting Locke free, he carefully snuck up behind the thief, who was trying to help Sabin fight Red XIII. Cid stuck his lance into the leg of Locke, who let out a cry of pain. Getting on his knees, Locke unsheathed his knife and stuck it into the arm of Cid. The two, who both now had blood flowing from them, fell to the ground in a hurry to see who could stab who first. Setzer, spotting Locke in trouble, hurried over to them, but tripped as the two furiously wrestled.  
  
Sabin and Gau had regrouped together to try and take down Red XIII. Red XIII gave Sabin a nasty gash to the chest, but the muscled man threw him to the ground. He didn't see Tifa rushing at him, however, and a cold belt in the stomach floored him. Gau jumped on Tifa again for some revenge of earlier, but behind her was Barret, who kicked the young boy off of Tifa. Sabin and Gau found themselves surrounded by the three, and they were both close to the ropes. Sabin stood up and broke free of the barricade by using his Aura Bolt, sending Barret five feet backward. As Sabin rushed forward, he suddenly remembered Gau and turned around. He was only able to see Red XIII scratching Gau furiously, followed by Tifa pushing the boy out of the ring anxiously.  
  
"The fight is tied again, at five fighters apiece!" Jessie called out.  
  
Setzer had managed to pick himself up, but Cid stuck his lance out at the gambler. Barely able to dodge it, Setzer kicked the spear out of the pilot's hands and snapped it in two over his leg. Cid, now weaponless against him, tried feebly to punch, but he had forgotten about Locke next to him, who punched him in the face. Cid fell back, and another punch was enough to send Cid over the ropes.  
  
"And a wounded Cid finally takes the elimination!" Biggs shouted.  
  
"He did quite well, considered he was injured so early on in the fight." Wedge added. Jessie and Biggs nodded.  
  
Cloud's rage had died somewhat, and he was now having trouble keeping both Celes and Edgar subdued. Fighting desperately, he kicked Edgar backwards, and tossed Celes into a turnbuckle, where he struck her across the chest. He never saw Sabin charge at him, though, and the hit knocked him to the ground. Sabin and Edgar prepared to toss him out of the ring, but Barret and Tifa came to his aid, each hitting one of the brothers.  
  
Red XIII found Setzer and Locke alone, as well as Celes alone in her corner. Thinking it would be easier to fight two wounded warriors than one relatively healthy one, the cat dove onto Locke and drove him to the ground. He was immediately met with Setzer punching him to the ground. Red XIII flew to the other end of the ring, and suddenly let loose a piercing howl. Both Locke and Setzer were stunned, and without a moment's notice Red XIII pounced onto Setzer, tearing his flesh off in a berserk fit of rage. Setzer, already weak, was unable to take the pain, and toppled out of the ring, nearly unconscious. Red XIII then turned to Locke, who had seen him coming and charged, knocking him over.  
  
"It's down to four apiece. Locke, Celes, Edgar and Sabin are left against Cloud, Tifa, Barret and Red XIII!" Wedge reminded the crowd.  
  
Celes, content with her bit of rest, emerged from the turnbuckle to help Edgar and Sabin with their opponents. She pulled Tifa off of Edgar and gave her a punch to the arm. Cloud saw Tifa getting hit and slashed Celes on the leg. Before he could continue harming her, Edgar jumped on his back to stop him, which caused both of them to fall over. Barret pulled Tifa off of Celes in an effort to protect her, and punched her with his good arm. Sabin, ready to protect Celes, felt his inner strength building inside him, and in a flash leapt at Barret. The black man saw Sabin come in a flash, and before long he felt himself being hit in all directions from him. Blow came after endless blow to him, and after several minutes did Sabin stop. With Barret standing frozen in place from the shock, Sabin timed a perfect kick to his head. Barret toppled forward from the impact, in the same direction that Celes was in. Unable to get out in time, the two crashed over the top rope together, both eliminated. Sabin watched in shame as Celes picked herself off the ground.  
  
"Well, though Sabin's incredible power, he managed to eliminate not only Barret, but Celes as well. I hope he never gets mad at me." Biggs said nervously.  
  
"Don't worry, Biggs. He never gets mad at anyone. He's so kind..." Jessie said dreamily, with stars in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, jeez..." Biggs and Wedge said simultaneously.  
  
The six remaining fighters had by now come close together, siding with their teammates. Edgar, Sabin and Locke whispered quickly to each other about battle strategies while Cloud, Tifa and Red XIII stayed quiet, ready for a surprise attack. It came with Edgar and Sabin charging at the same time to Cloud. He was ready and handily knocked Edgar to the ground as Tifa and Red XIII charged at Sabin. Locke was also ready, however, and Tifa a slide-kick.   
  
Edgar and Cloud, who both had their swords out, began clanging them together in an effort to see who could draw blood first. Sabin and Tifa were also trading blows with each other with their metal knuckles, and Locke was having trouble fending off Red XIII's attacks. He tried to hold off the creature with his knife, but Red XIII snatched it away. Locke was having trouble running around now, and couldn't hold off the bulk of Red XIII's attacks. A solid kick to the face brought Locke onto the ropes, and a spinning charge from the red beast sent him over the edge.  
  
"First the first time today, Avalanche is beating the Returners, three to two!" Wedge called out.  
  
Edgar, who had managed to knock Cloud to his knees, looked to Sabin to see how he was doing. He saw his brother dominating Tifa physically, and ready to striker her down.  
  
"Cloud, help!" Tifa cried. Cloud instantly fled from Edgar and soared to Sabin, pushing him over. Edgar, now alone, used the opportunity to his advantage and clamped a hand on Tifa's mouth from behind to prevent her from screaming. Pushing her to the ropes, he kept her in his tight hold until she was on the very edge. At the last moment, she elbowed the king in the stomach, causing him to loosen his grip.  
  
"Cloud!" She screamed. Cloud rushed to her aid again, leaving Sabin alone. Sabin watched Cloud return to Edgar, and realized what had to be done. Clamping his bulky arms over the thin waist of Tifa, he tossed her over the ring ropes briskly. Cloud saw the action and tried to save Tifa, but she had already landed on the ground by the time he could reach her.  
  
"Two on two! Edgar and Sabin VS. Cloud and Red XIII!" Jessie shouted.  
  
"Who's going to win?" Wedge inquired.   
  
"Come on, Sabin, you big hottie!" Jessie hollered.  
  
"Jessie! You should be rooting for Cloud!" Biggs scolded.  
  
Cloud tried to hastily toss Sabin out of the ring, but he was too heavy for Cloud to pick up and throw. Red XIII crept up to him, but Sabin saw it coming, and managed to carry the beast in his arms. Before he could throw him, however, Cloud crashed into him, causing both Sabin and Red XIII to fall over. Edgar jumped into the fray as well, knocking Cloud over, and before long all four were on the ground, furiously trying to gain an advantage on each other.  
  
Sabin climbed to his feet first, and attempted to pry the monumental sword from Cloud's arm. Cloud resisted from the ground, however, and the two engaged in a tug-of-war over it. Edgar, not wanting to get that in touch with so huge a blade, picked Red XIII up and started kicking him. Red XIII responded with a bite to Edgar's shoulder which caused a large amount of blood to flow. Edgar, terrified at the spilling blood, hoisted Red XIII up with his sword, and flung him over the edge, eliminating him.  
  
"It's down to Cloud fighting both of the Figaro brothers! Can he pull it off?" Jessie asked out loud.  
  
Cloud, wrenching his sword away from Sabin, saw the two brothers approaching him. Backing himself into a corner, he held his sword in front of him to try and slow the two. When it didn't, Cloud knew that it was now or never. Launching into a similar stance from before, he latched himself onto Sabin, slashing him over and over again.  
  
"It's the Omnislash again!" Biggs shouted.  
  
"Wait! Look at Edgar!" Everyone looked at the king as he began channeling a gigantic beam of light. Cloud, noticing it, turned around slightly. Edgar was waiting for that, and fired the light straight at Cloud's chest. The light seemed to sizzle on Cloud's chest as it drained the energy from him.   
  
"I don't believe it! Edgar's Royal Shock has hit Cloud dead-on!" Jessie cried.  
  
After twenty seconds or so, the light dissipated, and Cloud was barely conscious. Edgar walked up to Cloud, ready to throw him out, but Sabin stopped him.  
  
"Wait, brother, allow me the honor of eliminating this most worthy opponent."  
  
Edgar smiled. "Very well, brother."  
  
Sabin placed Cloud on the edge of the ropes, and walked to the other side. Charging towards his final opponent at full speed, he leaped ten feet into the air and stuck his right leg out. Energy seemed to flow from his body as he struck Cloud. The soldier was hit so hard that he actually fell through the ropes, tearing them instantly as he fell to the ground outside. Sabin landed safely inside, and he, along with his brother Edgar, were met with enormous cheers. The two hugged happily as the rest of their team ran into the ring to celebrate.  
  
"They've done it!" Wedge cried. "Edgar and Sabin have won the battle for the Returners!"  
  
"That was the most spectacular fight I've ever seen in my entire life." Biggs said in absolute amazement.  
  
"And Sabin did it! Oh, Sabin..." Jessie fell out of her seat, breathless and dreamy-eyed. Biggs and Wedge began to help her to her feet, but realized it would serve no purpose.  
  
"Well, folks," Wedge began, "You've just witnessed how brotherly love can truly help you out in the end. Those two cared for each so much that..."  
  
"Shut up, Wedge! We don't need those stupid morals!" Biggs shouted.  
  
Wedge sighed and shrugged. "Well, I guess that about wraps it up here, folks. The Returners have triumphed over Avalanche. Tune in next week to Final Fantasy Battleground! I'm Wedge, and I'll see you all later!" 


End file.
